Me - "I don't think I'll make turnip this year for Thanksgiving.
The Farmer - "What!!! No turnip!!"
I was feeling lazy and remembered how much work it is to
peel and chop those hard rutabaga heads.
But not to disappoint - off I went and thought "I'll just buy the frozen chopped ones".
Not one bag of frozen chopped turnips to be found in any of our local grocery stores.
Green Giant - where are you when I need you?
Sigh - there they were - beautifully waxed and round rutabaga roots in the produce bin ...
O.K. - I can do this.
The best way to peel them is with a vegetable peeler (a paring knife works too but a tad dangerous in my case).
I like to peel them on some newspaper or paper towel, thus avoiding the wax from getting onto my cutting board.
Why do they wax them so heavily?
Chop, chop - here we go!
Seasoned with some salt and pepper - water added and boiled gently till soft and mashable.
Now I will cool them, refrigerate till Thanksgiving Sunday (tomorrow) and make my Mom's casserole recipe. I love recipes with do-ahead possibilities.
My Mom's Turnip Casserole recipe goes something like this:
Add to one boiled and slightly mashed turnip:
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 Cup cream
1/4 Cup unsweetened apple sauce
Turn into a buttered casserole dish and top with:
1/2 Cup bread crumbs moistened with a few Tbsps. of melted butter
Bake at 350F for 1 hour or till hot.
The other roots that will be appearing on my Thanksgiving Table are these beauties right from my garden:
 |
| Rinsed and ready to roast |
They have been roasted and diced. Tomorrow I'll simply reheat and butter them before serving.
A medley of yellow, candy cane, and red beets, roasted and ready to be added to the Thanksgiving table.
I'll let you know how it all turned out.
Hope our family likes these roots!
Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and yours on this Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend!
God is Good!
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Those traditional foods are very hard to leave out! Ha! Glad you had the strength to "get er done"! Blessings on your family celebration of Thanksgiving, Rosella.
ReplyDeleteHmm...I see my comment yesterday didn't stick. (Having some troubles commenting.) So...those beets are the prettiest things I've seen. What a presentation they will make! Your mother's recipe for the turnips makes me wonder if it would also work for buttercup squash. Have you ever tried it with winter squashes? Hope that you are enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend.
ReplyDeleteGlad you went the extra mile with those turnips. he will say 'thank-you'! I have never cooked turnips other than adding them to a pot roast. Over here hubby always wants brussels sprouts...and no one else around the Thanksgiving table is all that fond of them...so I usually do them on another night...just for the two of us. Love your pretty beets! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!
ReplyDeleteHow many (approximately) turnips are needed for the recipe that you have posted?
ReplyDeleteSorry - I should have specified that and have now corrected the recipe. This is for 1 rutabaga (I tripled the recipe for my 3 but omitted the apple sauce which was a mistake because they turned out a tad dry this time). Hope yours turns out O.K.
DeleteOh yes...please let us know how everyone enjoyed the "roots"! I can't imagine not liking these, but then I am a fan of root vegetables. Your mother's turnip casserole sounds good. I have only ever eaten turnips whole, or mashed like potatoes with a little added butter.
ReplyDeleteA belated "Happy Thanksgiving" to you and your family!!
You're a good sport peeling all those veggies! But I'm eying those lovely beets---I'd be the only one eating them around here, but I'd savor every bite. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you put the whole turnips in the microwave for several minutes they'll soften enough to make them easy to peel and dice before you boil them as directed in your recipe. It really improves the whole process.
ReplyDeleteRuth
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Rosella! Can't say I've ever had a turnip casserole, but it sounds absolutely delicious! I'm trying to imagine the taste and consistency, and thinking it must be almost pudding-like? Those are the prettiest beets I've ever seen!
ReplyDeleteYour Thanksgiving roots must have been delicious! I am a turnip lover, so can't do without them on the big occasions even if they are a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is learning to cook, and he made stew this weekend and put BEETS in it. Interesting colour and flavour!
I have never cooked parsnips, but I'd love to taste your casserole! Happy belated Thanksgiving!
ReplyDelete